Where we do it > Pakistan - 5 minutes with Arif Jabbar Khan, Country Director

What Are The Main Development Challenges Facing Pakistan?

The Pakistan programme was closed (after 9/11) at a time when considerable external and internal changes were taking place. Externally, global political (or military) realignments put Pakistan at the center of the war on terror and changed its status from a country under sanctions ruled by a military (undemocratic) dictator, to the position of the major ally of the US. The resulting inflow of billions of dollars of foreign aid and investment saw progress in the macro-economic situation – though the effects at the micro/local level, e.g. reduction in poverty, improvements in human development indicators are still being debated. On the political front, the Devolution of Power Plan was implemented, which resulted in the establishment of Local Governments at the District, Tehsil (sub-district) and Union Council (lowest administrative) levels. The Devolution Plan transferred the responsibility for service delivery (public health, education, health etc.) to the local governments. Elections to the National and Provincial Assemblies were also held in 2002.

In Pakistan, Participatory Poverty Assessments (PPAs) present a unique perspective on the nature and the experience of exclusion, from the point of view of the excluded themselves. Contrary to traditional concept of poverty that stresses on material deprivation, PPAs bring out the concept of social inequality that is systematically maintained through social, economic and political processes. How much access one has to health, education, livelihood resources and political and social power is determined on the basis of one’s gender, faith, ethnicity, class, caste language and in the case of people with disabilities and those living with HIV&AIDS, on their health and physical conditions. It is therefore not surprising to find out from the Participatory Poverty Assessments and social exclusion studies in Pakistan, that the most marginalized are the people with disabilities, women especially poor and female-headed household, widows, children and bonded and landless labour. The PPAs also negate the notion that the universal conceptions of needs can be met through a uniform set of social policies, since these policies fail to recognize the diversity of the poor, and may strengthen the exclusion of some.

Poor governance at all level of state structures has also been identified as main cause of disadvantage by a number of studies undertaken by DfID, World Bank and small-scale studies by NGOs. The inability of institutions to deliver services that are shaped according to the needs, values and aspiration of people is reflected in poor socio economic indicators and high incidents of human rights violations.

What Have Been VSO's Main Achievements In Pakistan?

• Building cultural and religious understanding and breaking stereotypes about Pakistan and Islam, and also about the countries and cultures where the volunteers come from.
• Building the capacity of local organizations in technical programme areas (teaching methodologies, class-room management, gender-based programming etc.), as well as in organizational development (human resource policies, strategic planning, financial management, monitoring and evaluation, fundraising).
• Development of a diverse partnership base in the private and public sectors and at different levels (community, district, provincial national and international).
• Providing opportunities for partners’ reflection and self-assessment of needs. This is done through participatory exercises, involving stakeholders at different levels.

Why do you think international volunteers are important in Pakistan?

• By sharing their skills and experiences, volunteers can fill the capacity gaps of our partners. They can, at the same time, learn from their colleagues.
• Volunteers can bring different and fresh perspectives into the work of our partners. · Volunteers have been seen as role models by their colleagues/peers.
• Most importantly, at a time when divisions along religious and cultural lines are becoming dominant, the volunteers are a great resource in breaking stereotypes about ‘western’ culture. At the same time, the volunteers themselves get a deeper understanding of the cultural, religious and social dynamics in Pakistan.

What would you say to individuals with concerns about volunteering in Pakistan?

• Don’t just believe in what you hear about Pakistan. Come and experience it yourself.
• Pakistan is not much different from the rest of the world in terms of security. If some parts of the country are insecure, they are insecure for everyone.
• 45 volunteers have worked in Pakistan since 2004 or are currently in Pakistan. 70% of these were female volunteers. We’ve also had volunteers in Pakistan who were here with their families (including those with small kids). If you are not sure, talk to them about their experiences in Pakistan.
• Quite a few volunteers who have completed their placements have expressed a desire to return to Pakistan. Some of them are still actively supporting the organizations they worked for and visit them from time to time.

What new initiatives is VSOP developing?

VSO Pakistan is currently working in 3 programme areas, namely Primary Education, HIV&AIDS and Participation and Governance. We are currently in the process of expanding our programme in terms of its geographical coverage (moving to 2/3 new districts), as well as our partnership base (developing partnerships at the provincial and national levels with the government, UN and local NGOs).

We are also expanding our programme and partnerships for supporting National Volunteering in Pakistan. This will involve working with the UN, government and local NGOs, for the promotion of volunteering in Pakistan. Our strategy will focus on strengthening the programmes and institutional capacities of these organizations.

Following the successful implementation of the Global Exchange Programme (GXP) in 2005-6, we will be implementing another GXP in 2007-8. The programme is implemented in partnership with the British Council and a local organization. It involves 9 Pakistani and 9 British volunteers (aged 18-25 years), working together for 3 months with local communities in Pakistan and then for 3 months in the UK.